Latest stories
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Jonas Kaufmann & Helmut Deutsch: Selige Stunde
11th Sep 2020
Recorded 'in private quarters' during lockdown, the German tenor and pianist's recital of songs by Schubert, Strauss, Grieg, Zemlinsky, Mahler and others is a 'blessed hour' indeed.
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Selige Stunde
Jonas Kaufmann (tenor), Helmut Deutsch (piano)
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Lang Lang on Bach's Goldberg Variations
9th Sep 2020
The superstar Chinese pianist talks about his new double recording of Bach's keyboard masterwork, and about his approach to preparing and performing Baroque repertoire.
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Marc-André Hamelin plays Liszt and Thalberg
28th Aug 2020
The Canadian pianist is on jaw-dropping form in a programme inspired by the 1837 'duel' between the two composer-virtuosos, which also includes the mighty collaborative Hexaméron - a set of variations on Bellini by composers including Chopin, Czerny and Pixis.
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Episode 2: The Art of Music Criticism with Harriet Smith
29th Jul 2020
For the second Presto Music Podcast, Paul is joined by music critic Harriet Smith, to discuss the art involved in reviewing classical music recordings.
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Sir Mark Elder on Debussy
16th Jul 2020
In the wake of his recording of Images and Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune with the Hallé, the conductor talks to Katherine about his relationship with Debussy's music, and Colin Matthews's evocative orchestrations of the piano Préludes.
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Paul Lewis plays Beethoven's Bagatelles
10th Jul 2020
The British pianist's survey of Beethoven's complete output in the genre (plus the Fantasia Op. 77 and three opus-less Klavierstücke) radiates wit, warmth and wisdom.
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Paul Lewis on Beethoven
10th Jul 2020
The British pianist talks to Katherine about his recording of the Bagatelles (out today on Harmonia Mundi), and about the composer's often 'uncompromisingly uncomfortable' writing for the piano.
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Barricades from Jean Rondeau and Thomas Dunford
5th Jun 2020
David enjoys the début recording of Jean Rondeau and Thomas Dunford's harpsichord-lute duo, featuring a selection of French Baroque treasures with vocal cameos from Marc Mauillon and Lea Desandre.
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Grigory Sokolov performs music by Beethoven, Brahms, & Mozart
8th May 2020
The Russian pianist presents a collection of sublime performances of music by Beethoven, Brahms, and Mozart, recorded live at recitals across Europe in 2019.
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Lars Vogt on Brahms
6th May 2020
The German pianist and conductor talks to Katherine about the joys and challenges of directing the two Brahms concertos from the keyboard on his recent recordings with Royal Northern Sinfonia on Ondine.
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Shelf Discovery: Martha Argerich
5th May 2020
In the first instalment of a new occasional series comparing early and late-career recordings by the same artist, Paul revisits two landmark albums from the Argentine pianist.
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Peter Jablonski on Scriabin
2nd Apr 2020
The pianist talks to David about his recently-released album of Scriabin mazurkas on Ondine.
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Scriabin: Mazurkas
Peter Jablonski (piano)
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Víkingur Ólafsson performs piano music by Debussy and Rameau
27th Mar 2020
The Icelandic pianist releases his third album on Deutsche Grammophon: an exquisitely-performed programme of music by Debussy and Rameau.
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Víkingur Ólafsson on Debussy and Rameau
23rd Mar 2020
James talks to Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson about his latest album on Deutsche Grammophon: a fascinating pairing of music by Debussy and Jean Philippe Rameau.
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Eric Lu on Chopin, Brahms and Schumann
19th Mar 2020
The Leeds International Piano Competition winner talks to Katherine about his first studio recording, released on Warner Classics last month.
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Mishka Rushdie Momen on Variations
20th Nov 2019
Pianist Mishka Rushdie Momen talks to David about her debut recording, which draws together a variety of musical responses to a theme by Schumann and includes world premieres by Vijay Iyer and Nico Muhly.
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Variations
Mishka Rushdie Momen (piano)
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Mahan Esfahani plays Bach Toccatas
2nd Aug 2019
David enjoys Mahan Esfahani's exhilarating recording of Bach's seven keyboard toccatas, BWV910-916.
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JS Bach: The Toccatas
Mahan Esfahani (harpsichord)
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Mahan Esfahani on Bach's Toccatas
2nd Aug 2019
The Iranian-American harpsichordist talks to David about his new album, featuring lively accounts of the seven keyboard toccatas by JS Bach.
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JS Bach: The Toccatas
Mahan Esfahani (harpsichord)
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Isata Kanneh-Mason plays Clara Schumann
5th Jul 2019
The 24-year-old pianist makes her debut on Decca with a bicentenary tribute to one of the nineteenth century’s most remarkable women, including the Piano Concerto which she completed at sixteen and premiered with Mendelssohn and the Gewandhausorchester.
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Isata Kanneh-Mason on Clara Schumann
5th Jul 2019
The pianist talks to Katherine about her debut solo recording, released to commemorate Schumann's bicentenary this year.
